STOP VANDALISM

THEFT and vandalism of fittings from street lights as well as other vital security installations should be stopped at all costs because it is very costly and retrogressive. Undeniably, street lights are installed at great cost and huge amounts of money is required to replace them once they are stolen or vandalised. This simply means that money meant for provision of quality service delivery by local authorities as well as central government will instead be spent on replacing the streetlights which brighten the surroundings to ensure safety for both pedestrians as well as motorists. Unfortunately, this means nothing to some irresponsible, greedy and unscrupulous people who have continued stealing fittings with impunity. Just recently, we carried a disturbing story to the effect that fittings from streetlights worth K120, 000 together with solar panels, lamps and cables were stolen on Tokyo Way (Ring Road) in Lusaka during the Easter holidays. Even distressing is the fact that the crooks destroyed six streetlights poles to accomplish their despicable mission. What a shame! We are mindful of the fact that such evil acts are not restricted to Lusaka alone but are rampant in other towns and cities too. We therefore agree with Lusaka City Council public relations manager George Sichimba that the rampant thefts of these important fittings and installations is a great source of concern. Something should be done fast to stop further thefts by vandals who may now be targeting other roads with newly installed streetlights and solar panels. For instance, the stretch on the expanded Great North Road from SOS Village to Kabangwe area boasting beautiful streetlights with solar panels could be the next target for the criminals, given what they stole on Tokyo Way. It is inevitable for the local authorities in collaboration with other security wings to moot a serious and comprehensive security plan to protect the new and old streetlights. The idea may sound farfetched but the bottom line is that perpetrators of such evil acts should be brought to book and put behind bars to serve as an example to would-be vandals. Obviously, those stealing fittings such as solar panels have found a market where they are selling these items cheaply. For as long as the vandals have a market the thefts will persist. But this should be stopped at all costs and we believe one way of achieving this is by investing more in our security systems. Apart from joint security patrols, time has come for authorities to invest in CCTVs in the cities as a means to help fight crime. CCTV footage come in very handy during investigations as well as during court cases. Perhaps time has also come for the local authorities to consider building capacity among council police officers by retraining them to enable them effectively work with State police. Rather than using them to just chase vendors from the streets, once properly trained, council police would help combat some crimes such as theft of fittings from streetlights and vandalism as it was with the no-nonsense and famous Mine Police back then. Given the benefits of street lighting to the public including provision of security, improving safety for drivers and pedestrians, there is great need to nip in the bud thefts and vandalism of these fittings once and for all. This will help the country to cut on unnecessary costs.